Shawn Lee
On this page
  1. Phone
  2. Operating system
  3. Accesories
  4. Launcher
  5. Desktop
  6. Operating system
  7. Keyboard
  8. Desk & chair
  9. Mouse
  10. Laptop
  11. Mouse
  12. Tablet
  13. Self hosting
  14. Home server
  15. Pi-hole
  16. WireGuard
  17. Software
  18. Browser
  19. Everyday carry
  20. Wallet
  21. Watch

What I use

Phone

I use the Samsung Galaxy S24, I’ll now explain why.

Operating system

I don’t use iPhones because iOS is too restrictive. Android featurs like custom launchers and sideloading apps is extremely important to me.

I’m curious about custom ROMs like GrapheneOS which provide better privacy. But, it’s too much effort and risk to try it myself.

Accesories

Buying replacement accessories like cases and screen protectors are so much easier when you own an Apple or Samsung device. Most stores (even online) do not stock accesories for other brands beyond the latest generation.

I have been using Spigen cases and screen protectors for a long time. I like black and minimalistic cases, and they make the phone indestructable. I feel perfectly fine tossing my phone around or dropping it.

Launcher

I replace my home screen with Niagara Launcher. Having every app in a sorted list saves time from organising the home screen and makes finding an app faster. The design is also clean and minimal.

Desktop

I built my current PC in 2020. It’s still more than powerful enough to handle anything I throw at it.

Operating system

I use Arch Linux with Niri (scrolling window manager). I also dual boot Windows for playing games with incompatible anti-cheat.

Keyboard

Yunzii AL66. Great value for money budget mechanical keyboard. I like smaller keyboards (60% - 75%) since the extra keys are rarely used. The linear switch is also relatively quiet.

Desk & chair

I have been using my Omnidesk since 2020. Have no issues with it but in hindsight there are probably more cost effective options. I like switching between sitting and standing so having an adjustable height is important for me.

Mouse

Logitech G502 X Lightspeed. I don’t think there is a reason to use wired mice anymore. The latency difference is negligible and not being able to move your mouse freely without the wire getting stuck somewhere is worth it. I also use a Powerplay wireless charging mousepad so that I don’t have to worry about forgetting to charge it and running out of battery.

Laptop

HP Envy 14. The most important qualities in a Laptop to me are a good screen, high build quality, and long battery life. I run the same Arch Linux and Niri environment as my desktop but without Windows.

Mouse

MX Master 3S. It’s a classic. The build quality is great and the battery lasts forever, making it perfect for portability.

Tablet

I have a iPad (10th generation) for media consumption and notetaking. The portability and battery life makes it much easier to use than a laptop for simple tasks. However, I find iOS restricting and would switch to an android tablet when the iPad stops working.

I use a Logitech Combo Touch keyboard case and Goojodoq stylus. The official Apple accessories are overpriced, but having a keyboard and pencil makes typing/writing much easier.

Self hosting

Home server

I converted my old PC into a headless Ubuntu server. I run a few services:

  • Jellyfin (Movies & TV shows)
  • Calibre (e-books)
  • Immich (Google Photos alternative)
  • Nextcloud (Google Workspace alternative)

Pi-hole

I run Pi-hole on a Raspberry Pi 4 and a secondary instance on my home server. I also use it to setup local DNS records so that I don’t have to remember IP addresses.

WireGuard

When I need to access my self-hosted services over the internet, I use WireGuard so that I don’t have to open ports in my network. It also allows me to use my Pi-hole without being at home.

Software

Browser

Zen Browser is a fork of Firefox with additional features and enhanced privacy. The UI is the main selling point for me. I really like the floating URL bar and hiding the tabs so webpages gets the entire screen space. At the same time, Firefox’s Picture-in-Picture is way better than chromium browsers, actually being able to show closed captions.

An ad blocker and a password manager are basically compulsory extensions. I use uBlock Origin and Proton Pass respectively.

On mobile, I use Brave Browser for its built-in ad blocking and privacy features.

Everyday carry

My phone is the only essential item, but there are a few things that are nice to have.

Wallet

My wallet is the Bellroy Card Slip. I rarely need a wallet these days so I like having it as slim as possible. The only real use for my wallet is keeping a concession card for public transport and a few backup cards for identification and payment in case my phone is unavailable.

Watch

Garmin Forerunner 165. The main reason I wear it is for fitness tracking (steps, heart rate, running). A small side benefit is that looking at a watch for the time or notifications is slightly faster and more discreet than taking out a phone.